Abstract

The present study investigates the theme of socioeconomic disparity in Doris Lessing's The Grass is Singing. Economic inequality and racial discrimination are social problems that talk about the poor people's plight at the margin, away from the power structure's centre. It is a concern of contemporary relevance and, therefore, calls for a more in-depth investigation. The theme of socioeconomic disparity manifests the seamier side of civilization, but coping with these problems bring dignity. The Grass is Singing shows the horrific effects of socioeconomic disparity on both the white colonial rulers and southern Africa's black populations. The novel is a chronicle of apartheid and late capitalism in the life of Southern Rhodesian society. This novel is a tragic novel portraying a failed marriage, racial and economic discrimination in Southern Rhodesia. Lessing, as a writer, prefers to write about reality instead of creating some imaginary world. She has always been against the ill or inhuman treatment of whites to their black servants. She has tried to show the possession of economically weaker sections of society. The white people ill-treat the black labor class, and their male counterparts ill-treat the females. The present study focuses on the plight of economically more impoverished sections of Southern Rhodesia society.